Crime and Lies
by juliet agn
Summary: Freedom came with a cost. Sasuke knew that. But it wasn't supposed to happen like this.  Oneshot.


**Hello! Juliet here. Welcome to my second oneshot! Hope you enjoy, and please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.**

_Crime and Lies_

Sasuke dropped his cigarette into his brother's empty beer bottle, watching as the little stubble fizzed out. He quickly pulled out another one from his jacket and lit it with a quick snap of his fingers.

"Stop doing that," his older brother Itachi said harshly, as he peered into the cracked bathroom mirror, inspecting his teeth.

Sasuke knew that if he stood any closer to Itachi, he'd smell the alcohol and marijuana on his breath. He sometimes wondered at his brother's ability to stay completely aware of things while totally intoxicated. "Stop doing what?" he asked lazily. "Smoking or the other one?"

Itachi rolled his eyes. "The other one, idiot. This is a public bathroom, in case you forgot. People might walk in and see."

Sasuke leaned against the wall near the blow-dryer, cigarette dangling out his mouth. "I'm shocked that you aren't bitching to me about my nasty nicotine habits." he said dryly.

Itachi washed his hands quickly, using the freezing cold water like he preferred. "I like the cold water," he had told Sasuke once, a long, long time ago. "When you turn it off, your hands are all nice and warm."

Sasuke had snorted.

"I've decided it's hypocritical of me," Itachi answered in a low voice. He shut off the water and wiped his wet hands on his pants. "Your swearing habits, however, are another story. I don't use foul language myself, so I think it's alright to tell you to _stop_."

Sasuke shrugged. He wouldn't, and Itachi knew it. Just like how Sasuke knew Itachi was a criminal and would never stop being one.

"Let's _go_, Itachi," he said impatiently, while Itachi took his sweet time in tying his shoe.

"Calm down, little brother," Itachi murmured, tying the last knot and straightening with a sigh.

"Stop pretending like you're so old and world-weary." Sasuke ordered contemptuously.

"But I'm not old," Itachi stated, absently twisting the end of his ponytail. "I'll give you the world-weary one, though."

Sasuke rolled his eyes dramatically. "I'm going," he announced. "Whether you're ready or not. I don't need you." He turned to leave, but a hand shot out and grabbed his upper arm in a tight grip. "You're not going anywhere without me," Itachi hissed, eyes flashing dangerously. "Or you'll die and you know it."

Sasuke couldn't help but feel intimidated as he stared up at his older brother. He knew Itachi was only trying to protect him. At least, that's what he said when he ran away with Sasuke from their hometown after killing their parents.

"Then hurry your ass up," he huffed, ripping his arm out of Itachi's grasp.

Itachi's eyes glinted. "I've been ready for about ten minutes now."

Sasuke turned away from him angrily and stalked off towards the door. Itachi followed, his footsteps not making a sound. As soon as Sasuke extended his arm to open the door, it flew open, almost smacking him in the face. He fixed the newcomer with an angry glare.

It was a boy, probably about seventeen, close to Sasuke's own age. He had golden blonde hair and big blue eyes that were currently wide in surprise. "Hey, sorry man," he said apologetically. "Didn't see you there-"

Sasuke suddenly and abruptly gripped the boy's arm, tighter than Itachi had done to him. The boy's eyes widened even further in fear. "No," he gasped. "You're a-"

A wild, red-orange fire burst from Sasuke's hand and spread up the boy's arm. He watched with an impassive expression as the boy screamed and writhed in pain, trying desperately to get Sasuke away from him. The fire licked his face, which, Sasuke just noticed, wasn't all that ugly.

"Sasuke!"

Someone was shoving him back, sending him careening into the ground. Sasuke watched around the hair in his eyes as Itachi whipped his hand through the fire on the boy's body, making it melt into nothing. The boy collapsed on the ground, gasping and crying tears of pain. Sasuke, suddenly exhausted, let his body go limp.

A hand grabbed the collar of his shirt and shook him, before letting him slam into the ground. "What is wrong with you?" Itachi asked angrily, eyes hard. "Why would you do that? Do you want us to get arrested?"

"Noo. . ." Sasuke said with difficulty, eyes sliding out of focus.

Itachi stood, casting Sasuke a look of disgust. "Let's go," he said shortly.

Sasuke struggled to get on his feet, but managed to do so. Neither brother gave the poor boy on the ground a second glance.

They left the bathroom, entering into a dimly lit, dirty hallway. The loud, raucous yells of the bar patrons could be heard clearly. "No one probably heard anything, Itachi," Sasuke muttered, trying to defend himself. Itachi sent him an icy glare.

They emerged into a packed bar, complete with drunk old men and slutty waitresses. Sasuke and Itachi inconspicuously took an open table near the hall they had come from. "Where is he?" Itachi said lowly to Sasuke.

Sasuke scanned the faces of the crowd in an unobtrusive manner. "There, with the silver, sitting by the front door." he whispered back.

Itachi gave a small nod, eyes zeroing in the man Sasuke pointed out. He looked to be about nine or ten years older than Itachi. He had strange, gravity-defying silver hair. Stranger still was the plain black mask obscuring everything but his eyes. "Stay here," Itachi ordered quietly, getting up and leaving the table. Sasuke leaned back in his chair and frowned, blowing out a puff of smoke (yes he _could_ set someone on fire and smoke at the same time). He watched Itachi with narrowed eyes as his brother threaded his way through the tables and people, heading over to the man purposefully. His fluid manner of walking didn't betray how drunk he actually was.

Itachi approached the man. His mouth moved, saying something Sasuke couldn't hear. Sasuke wished it was him over there and not Itachi. He wished Itachi would let him do something for once.

The man's eyes narrowed in suspicion slightly. Then Itachi said something else, and he laughed, losing that suspicion. He gestured, inviting Itachi to sit down. Itachi did so easily.

A waitress exposing much cleavage came up to Sasuke, blocking his view of Itachi and the man. "Hello, sir," she greeted flirtatiously, batting her eyelashes. "What would you like to drink?"

She didn't seem bothered by the fact that Sasuke was clearly underage. Business is business, he supposed, legal or not.

He should know.

"I'm good," he answered, trying to get rid of her.

"Are you sure?" she asked, still acting flirty.

"Positive," he said shortly. She seemed put off by his attitude and left abruptly. Sasuke regained his view of Itachi and the man. His heart jumped to his mouth when he saw Itachi had placed his hand casually near the other man's drink. His heart rate sped up. Sasuke could hear the blood roaring in his ears. Had Itachi done it? Had he really?

Itachi stood and presumably said farewell to the silver haired man. The man said goodbye, his behavior relaxed and carefree. Sasuke tried to look nonchalant as Itachi headed back to his table and sat down. "Did it," he muttered into Sasuke's ear as he sat down. Sasuke felt utter triumph wash over him. "Watch," Itachi said, "He hasn't taken a drink yet, but he will."

Sasuke allowed himself a tight little smile.

"By the way," Itachi asked indifferently. "Why do you want to kill Hatake Kakashi so badly?"

Sasuke opened his mouth to answer, removing his cigarette and putting it in an ashtray, but the words were never said. An abrupt scream of a man tore through the bar. Everybody quieted, bodies going tense with fear.

A man, youngish with brown hair and a huge scar across his nose, ran into the bar. "Help!" he screamed. "There's a fire user here, and he attacked my godson!"

The bar exploded into chaos. Man and women ran for the door. Itachi and Sasuke stood, assuming the role of a panicked patron. The look Itachi gave Sasuke was of complete disbelief. "How could you not notice someone enter the hallway?" he spat out. Sasuke cringed. "I'm sorry," he muttered.

He had made a big-ass mistake, one that could cost them their freedom. If he had been more aware, less focused on what Itachi was doing, he would have noticed the man walk into the bathroom. But he didn't. And now Sasuke ruined everything Itachi had so carefully constructed.

Their only choice was to flee the bar with the mass of people intending to do the same. In the confusion, Sasuke hoped, they could slip away into the night, and leave this town before dawn.

But since the world didn't like Sasuke today, he and Itachi didn't get very far. For the boy Sasuke had burned was leaning on his godfather's shoulder, screaming "That's him!" and pointing straight at Sasuke.

The blood left his face, but he kept running, trying desperately to get away. Itachi grabbed his hand and attempted to pull them through the crowd, to get away, away. . .

A person jumped in front of the brothers, barring their path. Sasuke realized with horror that it was Hatake Kakashi. He stumbled back into Itachi. He gripped Sasuke's shoulders protectively.

"I know you," Kakashi said with much loathing in his voice. "You're that shit who tried to break into my house."

"It was just because I thought the place needed some new decorations." Sasuke responded smartly.

"Yeah, more like remove them," Kakashi growled. His hand spun out towards Sasuke's face. Sasuke watched it come closer, eyes growing huge with fear.

"Dammit!"

Itachi shoved Sasuke to the ground, before blocking Kakashi's fist head on. Sasuke watched, mouth agape, as Itachi and Kakashi began to fight each other.

"Get out of here!" Itachi yelled. "Don't just stand there with your mouth open, fuckbrain!"

_I thought you said you didn't swear_, Sasuke thought sadly, before following Itachi's advice and sprinting out of the bar. Kakashi lunged for him, but Itachi tackled him, launching the two men into a table. Sasuke ran out of the bar, the burned boy screaming "GET HIM! GET HIM!"

Sasuke ran onto the street, lit dimly by streetlights. He didn't stop sprinting until he was several streets away from where he had ruined his and Itachi's lives. He collapsed on the ground, wanting only to be swallowed up by the night, hearing his own rasping breath.

His body heaved, struck with physical and mental trauma. _Why?_ Sasuke thought miserably. Why did his life suck so bad?

But then it hit him. He was away. Away from Itachi, away from a life of crime, hiding, stress, and never ending lies. He could go anywhere he wanted now, with no strings attached. Maybe . . . just maybe . . . he had a little hope now.


End file.
